Stocking



Feb. 21, 1933.

D. M. CARM ER l fieno' DMA M.' (BARMER- Fatenteel Febo gil, 1933 Uniremaar nana yM. nannten, or rnrnannnrnra, rnnnsnvanm STOCKING applicationviled. Lapril 1G,

rlhis invention relates' to full-fashioned hosiery, and moreparticularly to improvements in the design and construction of -th upperor lwelt portion of the stocking.

Those familiar with the art to which the present invention appertainshave always appreciated the fact that hose supporters of the type nowgenerally employed are decidedly injurious to silk stockings in that theclasp thereof, even though free from rough surfaces, exerts a severestrain and pull on the welt of the stocking, with the result that thestrands of silk are weakened in consequence of which a crun is created.lVhile various attempts have been made from time to time 'to overcomethis difficulty with varying degrees of success, none have vbeenuniformly successful.A It is among the objects of the present inventionto provide av stocking having a reinforced top to which hose supportersmay be anchored at any point within an extremely wide area, this'beingof decided advantage over the present usual provision 2 of reinforcedgarter blocks of limited area.

A further object of the invention is the provision. of a stocking havingthe t-op thereof reinforced throughout its circumferential extent andfurther by the provision of means for lending to this reinforced portiona degree of elasticity which has not been obtainable heretofore.

A still further object of the invention is the provision in a stockingof a reinforced it is provided with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced areas of less reinforcement whereby not only to affordv a.pronounced degree of elasticity in the lower 4 portion of the welt andparticularly along the line between the welt and the web of thestocking, hut also to generally enhance the appearance of the welt.

@ther objects of the invention and advantages thereof will be apparentmore fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the combination, construction,location and relative arrangement of the several parts of the stocking,all as will appearniore fully herewelt portion which is characterized inthat 1931. Serial No. 529,159.

inafter, as shown in the accompanying illustra'tive drawing and aspointed out in` thel appended claims. ln the said drawing, which is notintended to be. restrictive but merely as illustrative of certainpreferred forms of the invention: y l

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stocking constructed in accordancewith and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the 60u stocking shown in Figure1; and

Figure 3 is aview of the upper portion of a stocking embodying theinvention in a modified form.

Referring now to the drawing and more y particularly to Figures 1 and2thereof, it" will be observed that the stocking 10 is provided with theusual leg and foot portions 11 and 12 respectively. It is in the weltportion 13 of the stocking that the present in- 70 ventionresides, thiswelt portion being characterized chiefly by the provision therein of a.plurality of triangularly shaped areas 14 of 1less lreinforcement thanthe body of the we t. Y

In fabricatingthe stocking shown, the welt 18 is knitted of a heavierthread than is thel web-of leg portion '11, thereby providing a ratherheavily reinforced portion extending -circumferentially about thestocking and upwardly of the line 15 which separates the welt from the'non-reinforced leg Y portion of the stocking. The upper part of thereinforced welt is doubled upon itself in such manner that the weltconsists of4 a S5 reinforced top section 16 of doubled thickness and areinforced lower section 17 of single thickness. This lower sectiont 17is of sufficient strength to afford in any point thereof a rm and secureanchorage for the clasp of a hose supporter.

In order to provide the reinforced section 17 with sufficient elasticityso that it may comfortably fit the wearer, the areas 14 are provided.These areas 14; are circumferen- 95 tially spaced about the welt o f thestockin and while of less strength than thebody 1 are nevertheless ofgreater strength than the non-reinforced web of the `tocking leg 11.

'In the form of stocking constructed as 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2,these areas 14 are respectively of triangular shape and are so locatedthat they extend upwardly into the section 17 with the bases thereofcoincident with the line 15.

It will be apparent that inasmuch as these areas 14 constitute arelatively small portion of the welt, there is little likelihood ofaccidently anchoring the clasp of a hose supporter therein instead of inthe more heavily reinforced portion of the welt. Not only does thisfeature materially reduce the liability of creating runs in the stockingbut the provision of these less reinforced areas 14 affords a pronounceddegree of elasticity along the bottom edge of the welt which iscomparable favorably to that afforded in the non-reinforced leg portionof the stocking,

` thereby not lonly adding to the comfort of the wearer but alsoeffectually precluding the possibility of overstraining andV so tearingthe welt along the bottom edge thereof.

It will be understood of course that the present invention is notintended to be limited to the triangular shape of the areas 14 butinstead may be of any other desired shape, as, for instance, therectangular shape of the areas 14a shown in Figure 3. The in.- Ventionis susceptible of other changes from time to time without departing fromthe general principles or real spirit thereof and it is accordinglyintended to claim the same broadly as Well as specifically as indicatedby the appended claims. Y

What is claimed as new and useful is :--Y

I. In a stocking, a non-reinforced leg portion, a welt formed at the topof said leg portion, said welt being reinforced throughout and doubledupon itself in such manner Vthat the lower section thereof is of singlethickness, and means formed in said lower section. of the welt to lendelasticity thereto, said means comprising one or more spaced areas ofrelatively small extent and of lighter reinforcement than that of thesection in which the same are included.

2. In a stocking, a leg portion having a relatively heavily reinforcedtop section,`

and a plurality of triangularly shaped blocks of relatively small extentformed in said top section with the bases thereof substantiallycoincident with the bottom edge i of said section, said blocks beingeach provided with less reinforcement than that of the remainingportions of the top section -whereby to lend greater elasticity to saidbottom edge.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto a-ffixed my signature.

L DANA M; CARMER.

